Coming Home
by WhitePhoenixRyoko
Summary: Songfic to Chris Rice's "Coming Home." About 60 years after Vash had his last confrontation with Knives, Vash visits his friends' graves. Char death, VM, MW, and lots of tears. R&R! (is being edited and fixed up)


A/N: BWAHAHA! Drunkie isn't here! Now I can type w/out being interrupted! YAYNESS!!!!! Well, this is a fic spawned off staying up late and reading other fanfics. And going on an angst rampage. Yup, there's character death, Vash cries frequently, and VashMeryl haters would be better off not reading this fic. And it's chock-full of SPOILERS!!!!! Enjoy! And as always, no flames, no claims, and flames will be used on Vicious and marshmallows; what fun! XD

**NOTE: Due to a HUGE mistake (which was making Vash really OOC at one part), I have fixed this up and made it make a lot more sence. That and Vash isn't acting terribly OOC.**

**savannah:** Oi! Arigato! Yep yep; don't ya just love tear-jerkers? XD

**ChibiSess:** Arigato to you too! Yep, I read the Bible; I'm really happy I found those verses. However, in this new and updated version, you might notice that those verses are absent; sorry 'bout that. But thanks for reviewing!

**Lady Shadowcat:** Ah yes; constructive criticism! I went really overboard when I typed that one part; thank you so much for pointing that out to me. And d'you know how you feel when you go around really angry for a long period of time, and eventually end up exploding? That's pretty much what happened with this fic (but I wasn't angry while typing it). I had the ideas sloshing around in the back of my head for the longest time, and one day, I just couldn't take it anymore and spent almost all day typing this fanfic. Because of that, I didn't think hard about what to and not to put in the fic, an example of the product of that being the Judgement part. Reading back over that part made me realize how terribly OOC I made Vash, Dominique, and all that jazz; I got so caught up in typing that I didn't think straight. And I know that it's not mentioned if Vash is Christian or not, and don't know if Yasuhiro Nightow, the creator of Trigun, was Christian either. Looking back on it, I notice that I really overdid the Judgement part, and I sincerely appologize for that. Also about the Judgement part, I know that one couldn't possibly witness to another while they're in a gun fight. And Vash's whole Christian attitude in it was also WAY overdone. Again, thank you very much for the constructive criticism.

**AnonymousTrigunOtaku:** Thanks for the advice; it only took me a few hours to do that. And I got some better ideas to put in place of that Judgement part! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I don't own the song "Coming Home"; it's owned by Chris Rice. As always, me no own. You no sue. okeys? OKEYS!!!

* * *

**Coming Home**

A jeep stopped in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. The passenger-side door opened, and a man, clothed in a tattered, worn out traveling cloak and a black body suit underneath stepped out. When he closed the door, the driver looked at him and said, "Do you really want out here? No one lives here anymore..." The traveler simply took out a few double dollars and handed them to the driver, replying, "Yes; there's something I have to do." He turned his aquamarine eyes toward a delapidated church with a graveyard full of tombstones dating back to over a hundred years ago. The driver nodded sympathetically and took the money, driving off and leaving Vash.

_I've come to my sences_

_How did I get so far from home_

_The lie's dissipating_

_Revealing I'm so alone_

65 years; that's how much time had passed since he had met two certian young women. And it was about 63 years after he had been found again by a certain man. But it felt like it was just yesterday that Vash had been hitting the bars with them, namely Millie and Wolfwood, ending up coming home completely sloshed. Well, he and Millie would; Wolfwood always seemed to be more tolerant toward alchohol. Like the time they got plastered the night before a quick draw tournement, which Wolfwood had signed Vash up for. Then, vice-versa. Anyway, they arrived with Vash's arm around the rogue priest's shoulders for support, in the grips of a hangover. It still confused him the way he was somehow able to pass each round dispite his ineberation.

And how could Vash forget the short girl, aka the PMS Queen? The way he always used to steal her donuts, get slapped by her, -yes, he had even come to the point where he missed that, too- be taken care of by her when he was hurt or sick, and so much more....he really wished it was still happening. Especially the time when he was bed-ridden out of being so badly injured, and Meryl always came in to care for him; that really stuck out in his mind. Vash remembered the day he proposed to her. When this thought came to him, he looked down at his left hand to see the golden wedding band around his ring finger, and just as he did, a pain-filled pang of guilt shot through his heart; with him being so long-lived and her being mortal, he would have outlived her, even if she hadn't been killed.

It had been a peaceful day.......that is, until the bounty hunter showed up. He shot at Vash, but Meryl had lept up and taken the bullet instead. They had rushed her to the hospital, and stayed almost all night. It was around 3:00 in the morning when the doctor told Millie, Vash, and Knives that Meryl had internal bleeding that couldn't be helped. In the short girl's last hours of living, Vash stayed by her bedside with his hand clasped around hers, holding her slim frame in his arms, murmuring "I love you" over and over to Meryl. She died around 10:00 in the morning, a simple yet peaceful smile gracing her features as her spirit left her.

_And I remember now_

_How strong love can be_

_And I wonder how_

_Did I ever leave_

Vash couldn't remember a time that he had cried harder and with more sorrow than when Meryl died. It felt as if a knife was slowly being dragged across his heart at her funeral; it had to be one of the hardest things he had gone through. He had locked himself in his room, letting broken sobs escape his lips as he lie in bed, only leaving the room for essential tasks. Eventually, Vash stopped eating regular meals, and soon had to be hospitalized. Vash was reduced to being hardly able to keep anything down, recieving fluids by means of an IV. Which he hated like heck. He absolutely _dispised_ needles, especially ones that had to _stay_ in. Vash was so upset about Meryl's death that he had brushed against the edge of becoming suicidal. Then, Millie told him that Meryl wouldn't want him to be this way, and that was enough motivation to bring Vash back to his feet. Now, Millie was dead -she died peacefully in her sleep from old age, but lived to see her first great-grandchild- , and Knives was who-knows-where.

Vash sighed as he entered the graveyard. He immediatly headed over to the corner, where his friends were buried. The cross on one of those graves wasn't stone like the others, but metal, wrapped in once-white cloth and bound with black leather straps; it was Wolfwood's Cross Punisher. Vash knelt down at the foot of the grave and ran his hand across the priest's name engraved on the stone plaque at the foot of the Punisher. He smiled faintly and murmured, "It's been a long time, Wolfwood......You don't know how lonely it's been without you and the girls....." Vash looked over to the left of Wolfwood's grave to see a smaller cross with Millie's name engraved in it. He then looked over at Meryl's grave, and was unable to hold back the tears any longer, letting them spill from his eyes, landing on his travelling cloak and the ground. A light breeze kissed his face and he looked up, forcefully wiping the tears away. After a sniffle or two, he whispered, "....I miss you all." Vash then took three red geraniums from under his cloak and placed one on each of his friends' graves.

_Burn your fire on the alter_

_Leave a candle on the porch_

_I'm still too far away to see it_

_But I'm acheing for its warmth_

He turned to Wolfwood's grave again and tried to pick up where he left off, but could think of nothing else to say, so he turned toward Millie's grave. "Millie.....I forgot to bring pudding; how could I have forgotten that?" He chuckled, trying to hide his tears behind a smile. "Knives left me -....us- only a few years ago. He told me to thank you for helping him learn to love...he really misses you. And your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren say hi, too." Vash looked up at the binary suns and smiled grimly, "...speaking of which, your family really has grown, but I guess one would expect that, what with you having so many siblings. I remember when it was just you..." Tears began to roll down his face again, and Vash turned from her grave to Meryl's, wiping the tears away roughly.

"Meryl.....do you remember the first time we met? You and Millie were looking for me, and thought that Descartes was me. And I kept stealing your donuts; sorry about that. And I'm sorry about your death; _I _should have been the one to die....why did you have to take the bullet instead? Why did you have to fall in love with me? Why did-" Vash abruptly stopped at the feeling of sand being blown up from the ground and being slapped in his face. ".....You're right; I _was_ the one who proposed...ok then, it was both our faults; it's human nature.......even though I'm not totally human, but that's besides the point. But looking back on it, I'm glad I chose you; without you, I don't think I would've been able to get back on my feet, especially that time after the whole incident involving Legato..." He felt the tears cascade down his cheeks as he spoke, and rubbed them away forcefully. "I'll have you know that I would have followed you in death....but you wouldn't want that, would you? No, you'd want me to live the rest of my life to the fullest. You'd want me to love again. But I can't, Meryl...........I can't love anyone else but you. None of the other women understand me; they'd run away if they knew about my scars -physical or emotional- as opposed to standing their ground and not being afraid.....And dead or alive, you'll always be my wife..." By the time Vash had finished, the tears were still falling, and his cheeks were raw pink from tears being wiped away so fiercly.

_And I'm so tired and cold and dark and lonesome_

_But still I hear your song inside_

_So sing it louder_

_If you want me home tonight_

Vash stood and walked out of the cemetary, wrapping his dusty travelling cloak tighter around himself.

_Sing it loud now_

_'Cause I'm coming home tonight_

---

The Humanoid Typhoon stepped out of the bus at the edge of another town at midday. As he walked through town, he couldn't help but look around in awe at how much it had changed since the last time he had visited. The town had once been so small, but now, it consisted of several buildings, saloons, stores, a shariff's office, and other things, as opposed to run-down shacks.

Vash came to the porch of a dusty house on the other side of town and glanced over at the worn-out, creaky rocking chair. He pulled his eyes away from the chair and to the door, rapping his knuckles on the dust-colored door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" An aged voice called from deep within the house, and the door was opened with a slight squeek, a man coming out to stand in the doorway. He was roughly 62 years old, had shoulder-length black hair that was almost overrun by grey hairs, soft brown eyes, and gently tanned skin. Vash smiled as the man looked up at him with the look of surprise and disbelief written on his face. ".....Vash-san?" "It's been too long, Nicky." "Oh, Vash-san; it really _is_ you!" The man wrapped his arms around Vash, who smiled a bit wider and returned the embrace. When they finally parted, the man cheerfully gestured to him, "Come on; come in! You must be starving!" Vash compiled and entered the small house. He looked over at a small wooden table by the door, glancing at the old framed pictures. His gaze finally fell on a picture of him, Meryl, Millie, and Knives. Cradled in Millie's arms was a baby wrapped in a cloth; that baby was Nicholas, better known as Nicky.

Minutes later, as Nicky poured the tea (ceylon tea, to be exact), he asked, "What news from Mother?" "She says she misses us...unfortunitly, I forgot to bring her pudding; I will the next time I visit her." Vash chuckled grimly and ran a hand through his hair, which was now almost all dark brown, save only a very small handful of blonde strands scattered around here and there. To himself, he thought, '_But I'm not sure if there will be a next time..._'

Nicky handed Vash a cup of tea, and leaned back in his chair, carefully taking a sip from his own cup. "What brings you though these parts, Vash?" ".....I need to visit someplace. Do you know that ancient escape pod ship about 15 iles away from town?" "Yes; what about it?" "That's where I'm heading." Vash took a long draught of tea, ignoring the scalding sensation as it passed over his tongue and down his throat. "Isn't that the pod you...?" He set down his cup and looked up at Nicky, eyes clouded over with sadness. "Yes, it is; I'd like to see it one more you lead me?" Nicky looked into Vash's eyes and immediatly felt how much he was hurting inside, and he reached across the coffee table and set a hand on the Humanoid Typhoon's shoulder. "I'd be happy to, Vash."

_This isn't the first time_

_I've wandered away from home before_

_So you have every reason_

_To slam and dead-bolt the door_

---

"Are you sure you don't want to bring anything to eat? Here; at least bring an apple." "It's ok, Nicky; I'm gonna be fine." Nicky sighed in defeat and nodded, handing Vash one of his two water-filled canteens. "Well, shall we go, Vash-san?" "I'm ready when you are." Nicky smiled, buttoned up his jacket, and opened the door. It didn't take too long for them to get to the edge of the town, and by the time they did, it was a little before 2:00. With a deep breath, they walked into the sandy expance that separated them from the centries-old crashed Project SEEDS escape pod.

As they walked, Nicky asked quietly, "....Vash?" "Yes?" "Did you ever meet my father?" Vash looked up at the sky, at the clouds...anything but Nicky. With a soft sigh, he sped up his steps so he was right beside Nicky and replied hesitantly, "Yes in fact, I did." "When did you meet him? What was he like?" "Well, I met him about 65 years ago. Meryl, your mother, and I were riding a bus across the desert to Mei City. He was just a speck on the horizon, but as soon as I saw him, I yelped in surprise. The bus stopped and picked him up. He was a little taller than me, with jet black hair that always looked to be unkept no matter how much he brushed it, stormy grey-blue eyes, and he smoked. He carried around a huge cross, which he called his Cross Punisher, wrapped in white cloth and bound with leather belts; he was a traveling priest by the name of Nicholas D. Wolfwood."

_But I remember now_

_How strong your love can be_

_And I wonder how_

_You might welcome me_

Vash looked down at the sandy ground, a lump the size of a golfball lodging itself in his throat like his Adam's Apple. '_Get ahold of yourself, Vash. Don't you dare start breaking down now._' With a deep breath, he continued, "We -Meryl; your mom, Millie; and I- called him 'Wolfwood' for short, though Millie usually called him 'Mr. Priest' or 'Nicholas.' Wolfwood was a bit of a rogue, but he had a soft spot for children. He had a rough childhood, and when he grew older, he decided that he wanted to start an orphanage because he didn't want any child to have to experience what he went through. And he did; he came to a church near December City and the church began to kind of double as an orphanage. Wolfwood travelled around to make money for the church..." "Make money as a priest?" "Well, not exactly. One of the ways he did was by carrying around a portable confessional, and you had to pay him if you wanted to use it." "Oh, I see; a confessional like those rooms some churches have?" "Exactly." "Could you tell me more about Dad? He died before I was born, so I never got the chance to meet him." "Well, what else do you want to hear about him?" "Could you tell me more about what he was like?"

Nicky looked up at Vash expectantly, like a child listening to their parents as they tell them a captivating bedtime story. Vash smiled and swollowed hard, feeling as if the lump in his throat had grown to the size of Wolfwood's confessional. '_Get a grip...not gonna cry, not gonna cry, not gonna cry..._' "When the bus stopped for a break a while after we picked Wolfwood up, we all got out to stretch and walk around. He was begging the driver to make him a deal and let him ride the bus since he didn't have enough money to pay the $$100 fare. The driver decided to let him ride for a fraction of the price, and Wolfwood thanked him and plunked his confessional on his head, saying it was a freebee. He asked if he had anything to confess, but the driver handed him the confessional and said, 'No thanks.' I was sitting on the ground leaning on the bus, and asked him if that was a part of his practice. Wolfwood explained to me about the orphanage, and just as he was answering one of my questions, he faultered. I glanced at what he was looking at, and I saw a mother with two young daughters. They were begging their mother for food, and she promised she'd get them something to eat as soon as they came into town. Wolfwood sighed and walked over to them, knelt down until his eyes were level with the two girls, and reached into his pocket, taking out three small meal blocks. He gave one each to them, keeping the last for himself, and the mother smiled and thanked him. Wolfwood looked back at me to see me smiling at him, and he grinned and said, 'Well I'll be; so you can smile.' I asked him what he ment, and he said that I always smiled and acted really cheerful, but the smiles were so empty, it hurt to watch me. He said I was hurting like crazy inside, but I'd grin and bear it." '_...not gonna cry, not gonna cry........oh..._'

_Burn your fire on the alter_

_Leave a candle on the porch_

_I'm still too far away to see it_

_But I'm acheing for its warmth_

Vash fell silent, and Nicky looked over to see him crying. Tears streaked down his face, cutting trails through the sand and dust, mingling with sweat and dripping off his nose and chin to the ground. Vash took a sharp breath and went on, his voice shaking and vocabulary shortening. "W-Wolfwood was....only person who...l-look at me and...know how I'm...really f-f-feeling. C-Couldn't...hide anything...f-from him...was one of...c-closest friends. Was murdered...didn't m-make it...time...I...I let him...down....." A sob escaped his lips, and Vash's shoulders began to shake uncontrolably as he cried for the rogue priest who died so long ago. Nicky wrapped an arm around him and whispered, "...I'm glad you told me. I may not have been around then, but Dad's death wasn't your fault, so don't think for a moment that it was." Vash nodded, his sobs softening to barely audible whimpers, and wiped the tears away as best as he could, renewing the raw skin from crying earlier that day. "Everyone dies someday; it's inevitable. Dad's with God now, waiting for both of us. I bet he'll wait forever..." The Humanoid Typhoon nodded again, blinking the rest of his tears away.

_And I'm so tired and cold and dark and lonesome_

_But still I hear your song inside_

_So sing it louder_

_If you want me home tonight_

After an uncomfortable silence, Nicky asked, "Vash? What do you think about Heaven?" The Humanoid Typhoon glanced over at Nicky in surprise to see him gazing at the suns and the slowly darkening sky with a smile on his face. "I picture Heaven to be a place with small villages and small, cozy houses. There'd be grassy rolling hills that would be dotted with all kinds of flowers...if I was to die, I'd want to be right beside Mom and Dad so we could be together as a family for the first time. What about you?" Vash smiled sadly, "I think Heaven's a place with never-ending gardens, with ancient trees to climb in, grass to lie in, and a million flowers; It'll be Eden. I'd like to be put to rest in the same graveyard as my friends, right beside Meryl..." "It'll be a place with no more pain and no more grief..." "A place of love and peace..." "And streets paved with the most brilliant gold and buildings made of the purest white pearl." "And I'll be with Wolfwood, Millie, Meryl, and Rem." "And I'll finally see and meet my dad." "I'll finally be able to find peace..." "I can't wait to get there..."

_Sing it loud now_

_'Cause I'm coming home tonight_

_Into your arms_

_To my backyard where I used to play_

_How I miss the days_

They walked in silence for a little while, and Vash realized as he took a sip from his canteen that his legs were shaking, screaming for a break, but the crashed escape pod was less than an ile away, so Vash ignored it, along with the painful pangs of hunger laceing through his stomach. Sencing his weakness, Nicky wrapped an arm around the other man's waist, his hand holding Vash just below the armpit. Vash tiredly wrapped his arm around Nicky's shoulders, murmuring a simple thanks.

By the time they reached the outdated escape pod, the dual suns had set as the several moons had risen, the night air had become chilly, and it was around 8:00. Vash left Nicky's side and staggered over to the door, running his fingers over the rusted metal. '_This is the door Rem told me to go through..._' He stepped inside, Nicky following after him. Inside, it was dusty and slightly discolored. Vash walked over to the wide bench built into the wall. '_This is where I sat when I waited for Knives to return..._' Suddenly, his legs couldn't support him any longer, and Vash fell to his knees. Nicky cried, "Vash-san!" and ran to his side, gathering him in his arms. "Vash-san, what's wrong?" Vash smiled faintly and murmured, "Nothing; I'm just you lift me up to the bench?" "Sure..." Nicky lie Vash down on the bench and sat down on the floor beside him.

_So burn your fire on the alter_

_Leave a candle on the porch_

_I'm still too far away to see it_

_But I'm acheing for its warmth_

Vash looked out a gap in a section of metal that had rusted away, serving as a bit of a window; he could have sworn Rem had started singing Sound Life. As the moonlight kissed Vash's face, Nicky realized that only a single strand of Vash's hair was blonde; the other hair had slowly turned dark brown on the trip over. As that last strand of hair very slowly began to darken and his conciousness began to leave him, Vash looked over at Nicky, smiled, and whispered, "Take care of that family of yours....and don't forget where my final resting place is........and tell Knives that I'll...be waiting for him and everyone........in Eden..." With that, the last of his conciousness left him, and Vash closed his eyes, a peaceful, true smile on his face.

_I'm so tired and cold and dark and lonesome_

_But still I hear your song inside_

_So sing it louder_

_If you want me home tonight_

_Sing it loud now_

_'Cause I'm coming home.......tonight_

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_****_

It was dark; dark and cold. Vash was only remotely aware of the fact that someone was carrying him, that the cold air was gradually becoming warmer, and that a woman in the distance was singing. His body screamed in frustration as his muscles refused to move as memories from before the Fall played over in his mind.

He was standing in the cold sleep control room, and Rem explained to him about Project SEEDS. She then said, "If there's a God in deep space, he must be laughing at us right now; our pitiful struggle for immortality must look like an impossible quest."

_....is there really a God?_

Mary, Rem, Vash, and Knives were having lunch in the recreation room, which looked like Earth's own landscape. Knives looked at the beautiful scenery and murmured to Rem, "So, this looks like the world you and the others keep talking about." "Well, sort of, but the scenery at home was actually much more expansive with a lot more variety of plants and animals." Vash looked up at her with a smile on his face, "I'd like to see that, Rem!" She smiled back and replied, "We're not just going to see it, we're going to create it! We'll find a place to create out new home. And when we get there..." Knives finished her sentence, "...there will be nothing but peaceful days." "With no war!" "And no stealing!" "...an Eden where people can live together in freedom and harmony."

_....is there really an Eden?_

Rem held a mirror up to Vash, and when he saw his new haircut, he exclaimed, "It's sticking up!" Rem laughed and replied, "I think it's great; it really suits you, Vash. And..." She trailed off, a sad smile crossing her face, "...it reminds me of him....someone I loved very much back home." "Where is he now?" "...In the land of the angels."

The cold air slowly became warmer, and when a gentle breeze lifted his bangs, Vash thought, _....maybe there is...there must be....._ He felt the moist trail of a tear cut its way down from his eye, but the person carrying him wiped it away and whispered, "It is finished, Vash," before kissing him on the brow. Vash instantly felt as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders, and the last of his conciousness left him. The last thing he heard before falling asleep was the sound of a woman singing Sound Life, coming closer and closer.....

* * *

_****_

Vash was floating in an expance of black. As he awoke, he became aware of the wetness on his face. He could hear someone talking softly to him and stroking his cheek with a finger, but he was unable to respond. "I've waited a long time for you, Vash.....please, wake up..." Finally, Vash was able to compile.

He opened his eyes a crack, and gentle light slowly brightened up his world. Vash found himself covered with white blankets and lying in bed, propped up with pillows in a semi-reclining position. As his vision began to focus, he realized just who the person sitting on the edge of his bed was; it was a woman with long black hair and beautiful grey eyes. "........Rem...?" She smiled and wiped away his tears, then let her hand rest around his cheek. "Yes, it's me. We've been waiting a long time for you, Vash." Just hearing her voice for the first time in decades was enough to get the tears going again, and Vash choked, "It _is_ you!" and threw his arms around her, sobbing into her shoulder. Rem smiled gently and returned the embrace, just as someone timidly entered the room. ".....He's awake?" "He is, Meryl."

At the sound of her name, Vash looked up from the embrace just in time to see the short girl run across the room and hug him. Meryl too began to cry and sobbed, "I thought you'd never come..." "But I'm here now, so you don't have to wait anymore." Vash murmured, turning slightly to hug Meryl back, brushing his lips against her forehead. He heard footsteps and turned to the doorway as two more people entered the room. "It's about time you came, Tongari; I almost thought you'd never arrive." "But you know what they say, 'Time flies when you're having pun!' " "That's 'fun,' honey." "Right!" Millie quickly joined the embrace, and Wolfwood walked over to a window adjasent to the bed. He smiled and turned to Vash, extending a hand to him and saying, "Take a look at this." Vash grinned swung his legs over the side of the bed, took the priest's hand and using it to lever himself up, and looked out the window.

Vash found himself looking out into a sea of sparkling glass. There was a pearly city with brilliant golden streets, and the sky was of the purest blue with cheerful fluffy clouds stretching across it. As everyone stood to look out the window with them, Vash felt a happiness that he had never felt before rise up from his heart and spread through his body. Here, he'd be able to begin again, together forever with the people he loved and held dear; the Humanoid Typhoon would finally be able to find peace.

Wolfwood looked over at Vash to see him grinning with true feeling, and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Welcome home, Vash."

* * *

My first try at MillieWolfwood; hope you enjoyed it, and plz don't grouch to me about the pairings or deaths or other stuff! R&R! 


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